Please note: This window fluid may pose a serious health hazard.
Windshield fluid, you’ve probably topped it up many times. According to the Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA), there are bottles that can pose a serious health risk.
Bottles have been sold in recent months that the NVWA says you shouldn’t use. Not only is it harmful to accidentally consume the stuff or get it in your eyes. Inhaling the liquid also poses health risks.
Window liquid with health risk
The window fluid in question has too high a methanol content. Methanol is a form of alcohol used as an antifreeze and sometimes added to fuel. The substance is very toxic to humans. 10 milliliters of pure methanol can lead to permanent blindness, 30 milliliters are usually fatal.
While window fluids aren’t entirely methanol, it’s still a good idea to take the stuff with you. The filling stations where the bottles were sold also take back used packaging. Customers will be refunded the full purchase amount.
Those four bottles of window fluid pose a health hazard
The Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) reports that the following products are affected:
1. All Ride® winter window cleaner 5 litres, -15
– Barcode 8711326132949
– Batch number begins with the letters “SFS”
– Sale at gas stations between September 26, 2022 and January 24, 2023
2. Avia winter window cleaner 5 liters, -15
– Barcode 8711326189325
– Sale at gas stations between September 26, 2022 and January 24, 2023
3. Fishland winter window cleaner 5 liters, -15
– Barcode 8711326189875
– Sale at gas stations between September 26, 2022 and January 24, 2023
4. Hahn winter window cleaner 5 liters, -15
– Barcode 8711326189639
– Sale at gas stations between September 26, 2022 and January 24, 2023
Top up window fluid
Although topping up windscreen fluid is easy on many cars, the Alfa Romeo 4C has some feet in the ground. In the very first episode of Sjoerds Weetjes, Sjoerd van Bilsen explains how to top up the window fluid at the Italian restaurant. You can see this in the video below.